Tahir-ul-Qadri aims for dissolution of assemblies in
Pakistan; protesters march on 'Red Zone'
Islamabad, Aug 20 (ANI): Populist Pakistan cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri said early
today that he wanted to dissolve the assemblies and create a national democratic government in
the country. Tens of thousands protesters reached the Islamabad parliament building in the early hours
today morning in their bid to force the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign, but did not immediately go inside. The protesters were wearing hard hats and tough leather gloves using cranes and bolt cutters to move aside barricades of shipping containers and barbed wire. Tahir ul-Qadri said
he wanted to do sit-in protest before the parliament building. Cleric Tahir ul-Qadri and opposition politician Imran Khan both want Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign.
Gaza war resumes with deadly strikes, rocket fire
Israel-Gaza Border, Aug 20 (ANI): Israeli soldiers and tanks were stationed on Gaza border
today as fighting in the coastal enclave resumed after the collapse of truce talks a day earlier. Charging Israel had "opened a gateway to hell," Hamas's armed wing vowed to target Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport with rocket fire, possibly to retaliate for what Hamas was quoted by Israeli media as saying was an Israeli attempt to assassinate its top militant
leader Mohammed Deif in a Gaza city strike. In addition to the deaths, more than 50
persons were wounded in the air strikes across Gaza, ordered after rockets were fired at Israel. Hamas initially denied firing any rockets, then claimed responsibility for shooting dozens as far as the Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The violence shattered a 10-day period of calm since a first truce brokered by Egypt, about a month after the conflict flared on July 8.
Congressmen
pay homage to Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary
New Delhi, Aug 20 (ANI): Leaders of Congress party paid floral tributes to former Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 70th birth anniversary here today. Congress
chief Sonia Gandhi, party’s Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, along with Priyanka Gandhi and
her husband Robert Vadra, paid homage at Vir Bhumi, the memorial of Rajiv Gandhi. President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and several other dignitaries visited the memorial and paid floral tributes to Rajiv Gandhi.
Heavy rainfall damages crops in Kashmir, farmers incur losses
Rajouri, Aug 20 (ANI): Heavy rainfall and strong winds caused huge damage to crops and vegetable farms in Kashmir, leaving farmers in distress over expected losses. The windy storms triggered by heavy rainfall have led to massive damage of
crops. One of the farmers expressed his disappointment and said he had been incurring heavy losses due to incessant rains, which
had damaged his standing crops.
